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“Did you ever go? Did you ever see them play?” Hal watched her intently.
Hal’s question caught her off guard, and Valentina was lost for a moment in silent remembrance. Valentina felt her teacher’s heart swell with love when she thought about her students and their bright, happy smiles, so full of promise.
She spoke hesitantly. “The whole staff used to go to watch them play. There was only a handful of us. The school was small and very poor, but the kids worked so hard and they were as proud of each other’s accomplishments as they were of their own. They made it very easy to want to root them on.”
“Chess can get pretty intense.” Hal’s voice was gentle. “I bet it meant a lot for the kids to have their teachers there with them.”
“Our school team made it to the finals,” she told him with pride. “The kids were all so excited to be in the competition. We spent weeks preparing; but in the end, the biggest fear was that we wouldn’t make it to the tournament. It was held about thirty miles away, and the ancient rust bucket that passed for a school bus, sputtered, wheezed, and popped the whole way there. I remember the loud cheer the kids raised when we finally pulled into the parking lot. And I knew then, that win or lose, it would be a day that they would remember for the rest of their lives.”
Unfortunately, the rest of their lives only meant a few weeks more,Valentina pushed away that painful thought and forced the focus back on the board.
“Honestly, I’ve never really understood the game. But I have wondered about the pieces and how they move around. I find it strange that while the rules are always the same, each game can be strategized so differently.”
“So, you want to learn how to play?” Hal ran his finger across the board.
“Play chess?” Valentina looked at him in surprise.
“Sure, why not?”
Valentina thought about spending the afternoon in the small space with Hal. Their knees touching under the table, and his large, callused hands taking over the smooth pieces and moving them at his will ... the soft rasp of his voice as he directed her—taught her—oh, boy.
She abruptly put down the piece she had been holding and stepped away from the game.
“No.” She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“Why not?” He took a step closer.
Valentina felt the back of her knees hit the cushioned chair and blurted out the first thing she could think of. “It’s complicated.”
“That’s just what people think because there are so many moves, so many ways to win or lose.” Hal crowded Valentina until she was forced to stumble back into the seat. Then he took his place opposite her across the table. “Really, Tia, I think you’re gonna like it. And I bet you’re gonna be damn good at it.”
“I doubt it. I’m not that good at thinking ahead.” Valentina admitted ruefully, but in truth, she had always wanted to learn the game.
“Well, let’s see how you do.” Hal moved a few of the pieces on the board. “You know some people think that you can find out a lot about a person by playing chess with them.”
“Do you think that?” Her curiosity was piqued.
“I guess there’s some truth to it.” He shrugged. “But really you can tell a lot more about a man by the way he fights or handles a gun. You want to look at whether he’s watching your back or out to save his own skin. No table game is gonna teach you that. And as far as women go? You don’t really know a woman until after you’ve had her in your bed a few times and even then—”
“Okay, I get it.” Valentina didn’t want the afternoon spoiled by images of Hal in bed with anyone.Don’t you mean anyone that isn’t you?that pesky inner voice taunted her. Valentina’s face grew warm and she grabbed the first piece her fingers landed on. “What does this one do?”
Hal laughed a slow low rumble when he saw the blush creep up her face. “That piece there? It does anything it wants.”
“Anything?”
“Yeah, baby. It’s the queen. Most powerful piece in the game.”
“More powerful than the king?” She questioned in surprise.
“More powerful than the king.” He confirmed with a nod. “The queen can move in any direction—even backward. And she can go as far as she wants to.”
When Hal’s eyes met hers, Valentina’s stomach fluttered, and her toes curled in her sandals. She focused her attention back on the board.
After the briefest hesitation, Hal went on to explain. “But the queen is also the most vulnerable. The problem with the queen is that she can be taken very quickly and right from under your nose. Every piece on the board poses a threat to her, and she can be gone with even one wrong move. It’s very important to protect her.”
“Which piece has the job of protecting her?”
Hal reached over and took the queen from her. When he did, the pads of his rough fingers skimmed the soft palm of her hand in a long, lingering motion. His touch was gentle, and a soft sigh rose from the depths of her soul. Hal put the queen down on the board and placed another piece in Valentina’s hand. His strong fingers curled over hers and warmed her.
